Lost... and Found

25 minutes. To some, it might not sound like much. Last Saturday, each one of those minutes felt like an eternity. Twenty five minutes is how long Sadie was lost at the beach. Even now, 4 or 5 days later, my heart is racing and my hands are shaking as I relive those minutes.

The day was beautiful, everyone was having a great time. We camped out not far from the water. After playing in the waves, Cole and Sadie decided to start a sandcastle. They took turns going down to get some water to wet the sand. Bart and Kyle went to get some lunch on the boardwalk. One moment Sadie was there, the next she wasn't. Hugest fear coming true....one of our children was missing! Amy and I started running around looking for her. Amy went to make sure Bart hadn't taken Sadie at the last minute... both she and Bart came running back empty handed. We told the lifeguard closest to us and he sent out the word on his radio. I was freaking out by this point. How could you not? Every awful thing you can imagine starts running through your head... is she scared, did someone take her, did she drown, does she know I love her, is she crying, what was the last thing I said to her, etc.

A policeman came to get a more detailed description. At this point, Bart had to talk because I was on the verge of hyperventilating. Bart kept telling me I had to calm down and I shouted back "Don't tell me how to react! My baby is gone!" I couldn't believe I yelled at Bart... the situation brought out a side of me I didn't know existed. I knew I needed to breathe, but it was like a vise was clamped down on my heart and lungs and I was just trying to survive. Worst feeling ever! Since I couldn't seem to calm down, they made me stay on our blanket while they looked. I was about beside myself and feeling incredibly helpless.

In this darkest moment, we had angels appear. Two, twenty something girls, came and started playing with the other kids. Five, forty something adults that had been camped right behind us, started in on the search. One of the ladies sat next to me, with her arm around my shoulders, and tried to keep me calm. People kept coming up to get a description of Sadie, and then would set out to do what they could to help.

Word finally reached us that they had found her. I couldn't relax until I saw her for myself. Then, at the top of the beach by the boardwalk, I saw Bart coming towards me, carrying Sadie. The lady by me told me she would watch Kelsey and I ran towards Sadie. Bart handed her off to me and I almost collapsed. Feeling Sadie in my arms was heaven. We just cried and held each other for a long time.

Apparently, she had gone down to get water and got disoriented. She started walking around trying to find us. Eventually, she went up to the boardwalk. A lady found Sadie there, crying. This kind soul sought out a lifeguard, who contacted the police and the police found Bart.

Since this experience, Bart and I have discussed over and over how we can keep this from ever happening again... Bart and I need to have communication about which of us is watching which kids. We need to have better, more detailed talks with the kids about what to do if we all get separated, especially at the beach. We vowed, wherever we go, to sit the kids down before the adventure begins to refresh their minds about contingency plans in case of separation.

We are so grateful that Sadie was found. We are grateful for all those that helped us find her... those we talked to and those we never even knew were involved in the search. We are grateful for a loving Heavenly Father that was there to give us comfort even when I was to hysterical to feel it.